Aboriginal English Dialects

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The Aboriginal English Dialects or First Nations English Dialects are a group of dialects of English used by the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. They are outwardly similar to standard Canadian English from the perspective of a non-Canadian. However, they differ enough from mainstream Canadian speech that Aboriginal peoples (the First Nations [formerly called "Indians"], Métis [people of mixed First Nations and European ancestry], and Inuit [formerly "Eskimos"]) are often identifiable by their speech to non-Aboriginals. This is primarily the result of the influence of non-English accents derived from Aboriginal languages combined with a history of geographical and social isolation, since many Aboriginal people live (or formerly lived) in remote communities, in the North, or on Indian Reserves. Since the 1990s, Aboriginal Englishes have also adopted many features of African American Vernacular English under the influence of hip-hop music which is very popular with urban Aboriginal youth.

The use of these "non-standard" dialects is not well perceived by the non-Aboriginal majority, evidenced by mockery and discrimination. Academics have begun to recommend that Canadian schools accept Aboriginal varieties of English as valid English, and as a part of Aboriginal culture.